Ioanna Raptis/Portsmouth Herald photo
Seacoast Basketball Tournament director Peter Goodwin stands on the court at the new Connie Bean Community Center. The tournament will start this week at the new facility.

PORTSMOUTH — Scott Leighton can see the end of the road, and he's not shutting his eyes about it.

Since 1978, back in his youth days, he's been part of a team in the annual Seacoast Basketball Tournament, often enjoying success and winning division titles.

But there's a sea change in the air this year, as the Seacoast tournament begins its 64th year. Instead of being played at the Connie Bean Center on Daniel Street, it's at a new facility — also named the Connie Bean — next to the Portsmouth Middle School.

“The tournament's going to be completely different,” said Leighton. “The gym's bigger and the court's huge. You could come to the Connie Bean and be out of shape, and still play a good game.”

The games will go on at the 64th Seacoast Basketball Tournament, which opens with a full slate of games on Saturday. Admission is still $2.50 (adults) and teams from New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts will make the trip every few days to play another game.

It just won't be the same as it's been.

The Portsmouth City Council voted last summer to sell the Connie Bean Center, once it got approval to clear the charitable restrictions that are part of the deed. The new Connie Bean Center, located adjacent to Portsmouth Middle School on Parrott Ave., opened in September.

Tournament director Peter Goodwin knows the new gym is the story of this year's event. While it does offer more amenities — including two courts, which will allow for more games on the weekends — it can't replace more than a half-century of basketball history.

“Will the history and nostalgia be gone now that we've moved?” wondered Goodwin, who's been overseeing this tournament for 14 years and been involved with it since 1979.

There are eight divisions in this year's tournament, which will run into mid-April: four for boys (grades 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12), three for girls (grades 5-6, 7-8, high school) and men's.

The format is double-elimination. In the high school divisions, it's often one last shot at glory for teams that have stayed largely intact after their seasons have concluded.

With the sign-up period nearly closed, Goodwin said he expects to have between 65 and 70 teams, compared to the 70 he had last year.

“(The new site) really hasn't hurt the number of teams we get,” he said. “Pretty much all the teams we've had every year are back again.”

From its inception, the men's division has been one of tournament hallmarks, along with the high school-age divisions.

“We put a lot of focus on boys high school, girls high school and men's (divisions), while a lot of tournaments focus really on the younger kids,” said Goodwin. “Our tournament was founded on those three groups and we've added the other groups over the years.”

Former Boston Celtics player Eric Fernstein played in the Seacoast tourney. Another former NBA player, Paul Grant, has taken part in recent years. Matt Bonner, when he was in high school. Plenty of Division I college players, including many from just up the road at UNH.

The old Connie Bean, with its small court and soft, friendly rims, was a great equalizer in that division. It allowed players in their 30s and 40s to compete with the college kids, with scores often topping the 100-point mark.

“Oh, man, we all know every square inch of that court,” said Leighton. “You knew the smell of the gym. You knew every dead spot. Take a couple steps and you're over halfcourt.”

“I hear a lot from the men,” said Goodwin. “They said, 'Never, ever, ever would they find rims as soft as they had at the Connie Bean. The Connie Bean was a shooter's place.”

It also served as home base for a basketball version of Old Home Week, in a city where the sport has been dyed into the community fabric going way back. Especially in the men's division, the faces seem to be the same year after year.

“Sometimes they'll add a different guy or two, but for me, (the attraction) is catching up with guys I may only see one month out of the year,” said Goodwin. “You ask, 'How are your kids?' and find out what's going on in other parts of their lives.”

Leighton thinks the switch to the new site may be the rallying cry for young blood in the event. If that's the case, last year's ending was fitting.

In the men's division final, Ferdinando Insurance won the title that had eluded it the previous few years, beating Leighton Builders.

As the game wound down, another tournament long-timer, Mark Ferdinando, hit a 3-pointer. But the last three of the game, and of the Seacoast tourney's run at the old Connie Bean, went to Leighton, who connected before the buzzer sounded.

“Mark and I came in together,” said Leighton. “With a like a minute-and-something left he got a 3-pointer. Now, there's no way I'm letting a guy from Manchester getting the last points in that gym.

“Peter gave me the ball when it was over. It was a special night. I knew then that I didn't know what was going to happen the following year.”

Earlier this week, Leighton said he still wasn't sure whether he'd have a team in the tourney. Part of him isn't ready to step away. But another part of him knows this may be the best chance he gets for a clean break.

“It hasn't quite hit me that I'm not going to be down at the Connie Bean gym,” said Leighton.